


your eyes look like coming home

by theworldabouttodawn



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: 2017 NHL Draft, Getting Together, M/M, idk what else to tag this as, this is softe and gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-19 13:23:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11314281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theworldabouttodawn/pseuds/theworldabouttodawn
Summary: an evening in the united center.





	your eyes look like coming home

**Author's Note:**

> i just. love them, okay, and i'm so proud of them
> 
> wanted to get this one done asap but i'm writing a longer one (among my, like, 1238743 wips lmao)
> 
> title from taylor swift's "everything has changed" bc if that ain't the most nico/nolan song I Don't Know What Is
> 
> sammie ilu thx for lookin at this for me

They’ve been talking from the moment they walked into the arena together. Nico can’t even remember half the things they talked about, but he knows that conversation with Nolan is easy and light and perhaps the most natural thing he’s ever done. When the cameras appear, Nolan makes a joke about how people should be sick of seeing them by now. It’s objectively lame, but Nico laughs anyways and shoves his hand into his pocket, scared by the urge to reach out and take Nolan’s.

He thought he had this whole crush thing under control. Evidently not.

Cody raises a hand in greeting when they join the other prospects. “Worked out your shit with Patty yet?” he asks, grinning.

“I do not know what you are talking about,” Nico responds, rolling his eyes. “There is no shit to work out.”

“There _totally_ is,” Cody crows.

“No, there is not,” Nico insists. And then Nolan comes over and asks Nico where he got his suit, so of _course_ Nico has to chirp Nolan about his hair, and he forgets all about what Cody said.

And then Nolan ruins Nico’s carefully-kept composure and reaches for Nico’s jacket, presumably to check the label, but all Nico can think about is how close Nolan’s hand is currently. He looks down, unable to tear his gaze away, as Nolan holds Nico’s jacket open, seemingly unaffected by their proximity. Nico takes a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down and not give anything away.

But the moment is over quickly, Nolan dropping his hand and stepping back while cracking some joke that’s probably funny. Nico doesn’t hear it through the blood rushing in his ears, though, and laughs hesitantly, hoping that Nolan doesn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.

Nolan seems oblivious, thank God, and continues talking as they make their way to their respective tables. They clasp hands before they part to be with their families, and even that little touch is enough to send a jolt through Nico’s body.

“Hey, good luck,” Nolan says.

“You too,” Nico responds, and then Nolan’s gone.

So Nico sits down with his parents and Luca and tries not to think about Nolan or the draft. He knows that everything is about to change, and – it’s nice, it really is, to have this moment with them.

When he hears his name called, the first thing he thinks about is Nolan. He’s ecstatic, of course, but part of him _really_ didn’t want to take this away from Nolan and –

Nolan is grinning at him from the next table over, nothing in his expression except delight, so Nico just grins back at him before hugging his family. As he’s making his way over to the hat shelf, however, Nolan stands up and leans in for a hug of his own, whispering “Congrats” into Nico’s ear.

The feeling of Nolan’s lips so close to him has Nico unable to say anything more than a stuttered “thank you” before he’s being ushered up on to the stage to shake hands with Gary Bettman and Ray Shero.

He puts on the hat and pulls on the jersey and smiles for the pictures, and his heart is beating out of his chest. It’s so much to take in, and he just wants to remember this moment without thinking of anything else but the fact that _he’s made it, he went first, he’s going to be a New Jersey Devil._

When he’s ushered off the stage, he hangs back a moment just to make sure that Nolan goes second. The official escorting him is indulgent, waiting patiently until Hextall announces, “Philadelphia selects, from the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings, Nolan Patrick.”

Nico takes a deep breath, relieved, before following the official to the visitor’s locker room, where a photographer has set up shop. He’s left there by himself, waiting for the other top three picks and the photographer, who’s gone to the bathroom. Nolan comes in a few moments later, and they’re alone for a few seconds.

Everyone’s supposed to look terrible in Flyers orange, Nico thinks, but somehow Nolan’s pulling it off. “You look nice,” Nico says inanely. Fuck. He wasn’t supposed to say that.

But Nolan grins anyways, though, so it’s okay. “Thanks,” he says. “So do you.” 

And then, because he really hopes Nolan isn’t resentful because he didn’t go first, Nico adds, “You – you deserved to go first too, you know.” And there’s so much more that he wants to say, but he can’t put it into words. He wants to tell Nolan that he doesn’t want this to change anything, that just because Nico went first doesn’t mean that he thinks any less of Nolan or whatever, and–

“Dude, we agreed we didn’t care who went first, it’s fine, seriously,” Nolan says, oblivious to Nico’s internal crisis, and he’s smiling.

Nico takes a deep breath. It’s like a weight has been lifted off his chest, hearing Nolan confirm what they had both been saying for the past few months.

He matches Nolan’s grin. “Think you owe Glass some money, then,” he says lightly, enjoying the way the indignation spreads across Nolan’s face.

(Fuck, Nolan’s still cute even like this.)

Before Nolan can respond, though, Heiskanen comes in with the photographer, who starts moving them around for the requisite awkward top three photos. Nico barely remembers anything besides Nolan’s gloved hand resting lightly on the curve of his ass while they take pictures. He stays as still as possible, afraid to breathe too heavily lest Nolan move his hand.

Then Nolan’s gone, and some official is leading Nico to a media room, and he answers questions to the best of his ability and feels his heart rate finally slowing down. There’s a lot more for him to do, and most of him is thinking about how he just went first overall, but Nolan still occupies a corner of his mind (he has, since the combine at the very least), and he’s still wondering if Nolan’s doing okay.

They don’t get another moment to breathe until almost two hours after they’re drafted, catching their breath in a hallway somewhere in the United Center and waiting for their families. It’s quiet, a relief after the hectic scrums and photo shoots and autographs, and Nico slides down the wall and sits on the ground. Nolan joins him, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “Hey, congrats again,” he says quietly. “You deserve it.”

Nico finds it harder and harder not to lean into Nolan’s warmth, so he just – doesn’t fight it. “Thanks,” he responds. “You did too.” And he might have said this already, but it’s still so important to him that Nolan still stays his friend, that he knows that Nico would still – _fuck_ , Nico doesn’t even know what he’d do for Nolan. It’s too scary of a concept to even process right now.

Nolan hums noncommittally. He doesn’t say any more, but Nico feels him pull him in just a little bit closer, and that’s better than any response. He’s acutely aware of all the places he’s touching Nolan now, a line of heat pressed along his side and sending shivers up his spine.

It feels right, somehow, to be here with Nolan like this, tucked against his side. Nolan’s smiling gently, maybe (possibly, hopefully, heart-wrenchingly) mirroring what Nico thinks he’s been bursting out of his skin with. Fondness, perhaps, and a bit of longing, and Nico – Nico’s projecting. He can’t have this, he just got drafted first overall and Nolan was drafted to a different team and–

“Can I kiss you?” Nolan asks quietly.

Nico’s – frozen, maybe, with shock. He never actually thought that Nolan would make a move, he never believed that he could have this – “Yes, yes, please,” he stutters out.

So Nolan smiles again, just a twitch up of his lips before going serious and leaning in. The leadup seems to take forever, and Nico can’t take his eyes off of Nolan’s lips, can’t do anything more than wait for Nolan to come to him.

Then Nolan’s kissing him, and everything slots into place, somehow. It’s chaste, at first, soft and gentle, but Nico wants more. He wants Nolan to take him apart, wants to fall into Nolan and know every part of him, and it’s almost overwhelming, but Nolan’s hands in his hair ground him in the moment.

Nico’s arms make their way around Nolan’s back, and he’s pulling Nolan closer and opening for him as Nolan presses deeper into his mouth. It’s everything Nico hasn’t been letting himself think about these past few months, and he lets go, losing himself in the kiss.

Nolan moans when Nico sucks his bottom lip in between his teeth, a low sound caught in his throat that Nico decides he needs to hear all the time. So he does it again, nipping lightly this time, just to hear the sounds that Nolan’s making, that _he’s_ drawing out of Nolan. It’s – it’s a lot.

But eventually Nico finally pulls away, needing to breathe, and whimpers when Nolan bites his lip before letting him go. But Nico doesn’t go far, wanting nothing more than to be caught in Nolan’s orbit forever. Resting his forehead against Nolan’s, he feels a giggle rising in his chest. “So are we–”

“Dating? Boyfriends? If you want to be,” Nolan says, and he suddenly looks so unsure and young and Nico thinks that he would fight the world to make sure Nolan never had any reason to look like that.

He grins, and Nolan’s matching grin is like the sun. “Of course I want,” he says, clumsily taking Nolan’s hand and pressing his lips to it.

Nolan’s eyes darken hungrily. Slipping his hand out of Nico’s grasp, he pulls Nico in again and crashes his lips to Nico’s, biting and powerful and taking everything Nico has to offer. Nico moans, helpless under the force of Nolan’s want, and the sound seems to spur Nolan on even more. He clutches at Nico’s sides, slipping one hand under the Devils jersey to work at the hem of Nico’s shirt, and Nico pulls Nolan even closer to himself, if that’s even possible. He wants so much, and even though he knows that he can’t get it right now, just having Nolan pliant under his hands like this is heady, exhilarating, and Nico doesn’t know how he could ever stop.

So it’s Nolan who pulls back first this time. “They’ll come looking for us soon,” he says apologetically. “We can’t–”

“Yeah,” Nico sighs, understanding. “And I am going to Newark in the morning.” He settles back next to Nolan, resting his head on Nolan’s shoulder and twining their fingers together.

“Newark and Philly are only an hour apart,” Nolan says, voice rumbling through his body and into Nico’s. “We could see each other on off days.”

“Hmm?” Nico asks, looking up at him. “I did not know that.” Geography was never his strong suit.

“I looked it up after the draft lottery,” Nolan admits.

“You – you did _not_ ,” Nico laughs. “Really?”

Nolan laughs along with him. It’s the best sound Nico’s ever heard. “I hoped,” Nolan says simply.

Not knowing how to respond (Nolan had wanted this for just as long as he had, they could have been doing this so much sooner, _Nolan wants this for real_ ), Nico just squeezes Nolan’s hand, hoping that Nolan can understand all that Nico can’t put into words, either English or Swiss German.

“You’re beautiful,” Nolan says a few minutes later, hand coming up to stroke Nico’s cheek. “I can’t believe I get to have you.”

“For as long as you want me,” Nico responds, leaning into the touch. And it might be too early to say _forever_ , but Nico can’t bring himself to care right now, not when Nolan is looking at him like he’s the best thing to ever exist.

Nolan grins and kisses him again, and all is right with the world.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [tumblr](http://olllmaatta.tumblr.com) for more screams about these boys and also other boys.


End file.
